1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a packer apparatus for pushing and packing fallen leaves or other debris into trash container.
2. Background Information
The governments of various municipalities all over the United States have passed laws prohibiting the dumping or burning of leaves and other debris in the municipality/county. The debris must therefore be collected in leaf and debris bags, sometimes a specific type, size, or color of bag, and set on the curb for pickup by a trash service, or hauled to a specified disposal location. Unfortunately, raking up and bagging fall leaves or summer yard clippings is difficult for an individual to undertake, particularly if the individual is handicapped or infirm. Once the fallen leaves are raked into piles, it is difficult to hold the leaf bag open and at the same time insert handfuls of slippery leaves. Some people put one foot on the edge of the leaf and debris bag, lean over and hold the bag open with one hand, and attempt to scoop in leaves with the other hand. Since only comparatively few leaves can be inserted with each handful or rake full, the job is labor intensive and sometimes results in back sprains, spasms, and aching muscles.
The inexpensive leaf packer apparatus of the present invention makes collecting leaves quicker and easier. The leaf packer apparatus is used to pack leaves down into a trash container or bag. It is most helpful when used in conjunction with the chute apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,742, Weathers et al., issued Mar. 23, 2004. Its preferred embodiments fit on one end of a conventional rake, so it is not necessary to use two separate tools for raking and packing down the leaves in the container. The leaf packer markedly decreases the amount of bending and stretching necessary to do yard work, and is especially helpful for older or infirm people. It can also be used for packing outdoor trash, such as discarded napkins, paper cups, brochures, and other debris, after a church festival, for example, into trash containers.
Using the packer apparatus allows more trash to be packed into a container, thereby decreasing the number of times the trash container must be emptied, and/or the number of new containers/bags needed to collect the trash. Where trash collection companies charge according to the number of full trash containers removed from a site, the packer apparatus should also decrease trash collection costs.